giving guitar lessons

[solopickin]

I've had a couple of friends ask me if I would give them guitar lessons and since I am self taught and never had any lessons I'm not quite sure where to start. Does anyone out there have any suggestions in this? Kinda like a loose outline to base a program on. Thx for the help

[BackNtheSaddle]

Depends... I teach my grandson, by showing him how to play the songs that he wants to learn how to play. That works in varying degrees, depending on how complex the songs are and how much he works to learn them.

Along the way he learns about notes, chords, scales, etc. But, he learns how to play music and not about theory.

All that will come... in time. Beginners have more fun playing, than learning.

So, teach them how to play - they will learn from that.

Just my humble opinion!

[Skub]

Originally Posted by BackNtheSaddle

Depends... I teach my grandson, by showing him how to play the songs that he wants to learn how to play. That works in varying degrees, depending on how complex the songs are and how much he works to learn them.

Along the way he learns about notes, chords, scales, etc. But, he learns how to play music and not about theory.

All that will come... in time. Beginners have more fun playing, than learning.

So, teach them how to play - they will learn from that.

Just my humble opinion!

No one ever taught me,but when I learned how to break down a song to learn I could never go back to learn it properly. This means I have poor theory,which I feel narrows my range. I wish I had learned properly from the start.

[AJBaker]

Depends, are you doing this to have fun with your friends, or are you planning on also being paid? If it's just for fun play it by ear, teach some chords and songs. If you're getting paid, you'll want to be confident your doing it right.

Me personally, I don't much like teaching...

[BackNtheSaddle]

We all approach things differently. When I learn a song, I don't think, for example... "OK, it's a I-IV-V with a VI/IX turn around and the melody is from the relative minor, yadda-yadda". I think in terms of how the artist intended the sounds to deliver the message.

I never learned theory, to the extent of mathematically constructing chords, or melodies. I just "hear" them. I try to do that with my grandson... I'll play a chord and have him try to "find" it on his guitar. I'll give him a note... C#, for example. Then, play that note and another one. then, I ask him to do the same.

The other day, he called me up and asked me if the chords to a song that he heard on the radio were (whatever). I asked him, what do you think? He said that he got most of them, or so he thought. Guess what? He was right.

How much fun do you think he's having learning how to play.

Should I sit him down and start teaching him the sub-moronic, over-dominant penta, minor, blah-blah scale and try to explain how he can weave that into the changes of a pop tune he just heard on the radio? Maybe not.

There's a place for theory... I wholeheartedly agree.

I wish when I was a kid, trying to learn how to play, someone showed me how to play the songs that I loved. But no, it was scale after scale. Progression after progression.

If someone is asking for help learning how to play the guitar... I think (again MHO) that the best thing you can do is teach them how to play the guitar, not bog them down with things that are not really fun. And, not what they asked for.

Like I said, there's a place for theory.

[Skub]

Originally Posted by BackNtheSaddle

Like I said, there's a place for theory.

Yep,I'm just unsure about which comes first,but then I'm not a teacher. When my son took up the bass he was learning lines just by listening to the songs that took his fancy,yet he hadn't a notion about notes on the fretboard. To sit him down now for a yarn about musical theory would be wasted,he's out and playing using his ears. I went through the same process and I feel I missed out,but I can never go back.

[solopickin]

Originally Posted by Skub

No one ever taught me,but when I learned how to break down a song to learn I could never go back to learn it properly. This means I have poor theory,which I feel narrows my range. I wish I had learned properly from the start.

Yes I learned backwards( which is usually what I do) I could strum songs and make tons of chords for years before I started to learn theory, but once theory clicked and made since that's when I feel that I became a musician. For many years I was intimidated by scales but once I figured it out I was totally confident that I could play anything.

[solopickin]

Originally Posted by AJBaker

Depends, are you doing this to have fun with your friends, or are you planning on also being paid? If it's just for fun play it by ear, teach some chords and songs. If you're getting paid, you'll want to be confident your doing it right.

Me personally, I don't much like teaching...

The people who wants lessons said that they wanted to pay and I would want to teach them the right way like you said. More than anything I would just like to help someone learn about music. Seems to me that the trick to teaching would be talking to students in a way that the beginner would understand, back when I was a newbie I can't tell you how many books and videos I watched and read but it was like Chinese to me then one day it just clicked and I took off from there

[solopickin]

Originally Posted by BackNtheSaddle

We all approach things differently. When I learn a song, I don't think, for example... "OK, it's a I-IV-V with a VI/IX turn around and the melody is from the relative minor, yadda-yadda". I think in terms of how the artist intended the sounds to deliver the message.

I never learned theory, to the extent of mathematically constructing chords, or melodies. I just "hear" them. I try to do that with my grandson... I'll play a chord and have him try to "find" it on his guitar. I'll give him a note... C#, for example. Then, play that note and another one. then, I ask him to do the same.

The other day, he called me up and asked me if the chords to a song that he heard on the radio were (whatever). I asked him, what do you think? He said that he got most of them, or so he thought. Guess what? He was right.

How much fun do you think he's having learning how to play.

Should I sit him down and start teaching him the sub-moronic, over-dominant penta, minor, blah-blah scale and try to explain how he can weave that into the changes of a pop tune he just heard on the radio? Maybe not.

There's a place for theory... I wholeheartedly agree.

I wish when I was a kid, trying to learn how to play, someone showed me how to play the songs that I loved. But no, it was scale after scale. Progression after progression.

If someone is asking for help learning how to play the guitar... I think (again MHO) that the best thing you can do is teach them how to play the guitar, not bog them down with things that are not really fun. And, not what they asked for.

Like I said, there's a place for theory.

I definitely agree . When I first started I would pick a song I liked and then learn how to play it,then you have a definite feel of what it needs to sound like

[BackNtheSaddle]

Originally Posted by solopickin

The people who wants lessons said that they wanted to pay and I would want to teach them the right way like you said. More than anything I would just like to help someone learn about music. Seems to me that the trick to teaching would be talking to students in a way that the beginner would understand, back when I was a newbie I can't tell you how many books and videos I watched and read but it was like Chinese to me then one day it just clicked and I took off from there

That's a hard trick, indeed. Thinking back... what we now take for granted was a monumental task to learn and absorb - especially without context. Perhaps, you could weave playing into the learning and give context.

[JimmieT]

They want to enjoy playing so start with I,IV,V chords. I think A,D,E are the eisiest cuz there is less finger stretching. Most important show how rythym works. Ya gotta have that down to play anything.
Teach that many songs can be played with A,D,E. Add one chord and teach D,G,A and how that is also I,IV,V. That way they get some theory.
12 bar blues is a must.

[Hiker]

As much as one guitar book might work as a a tool for kids, or adults as a starting point...each person shows up with certain talents and abilities. You've got to learn to recognize them, and work with each person-mold them if you will. You can't give cookie-cutter lessons to everyone, it's not the way to approach individuals. We're all different.

You should be able to sit with any of the interested students-assess where they are with their playing, assess each person's talent(s) as it relates to music, and playing/performance. Also, write-down their musical interests (types of music they want to learn), and take progress notes about each person.

I'd want to know plenty at the end of the first lesson, including a few 'other' things...is the person shy or outgoing, are they a good singer (self-taught or voice training), can they keep a beat with their foot, or by clapping, or snapping of the fingers? If you're not ready for a good assessment, and taking some notes-reconsider whether you're ready to begin teaching.

IMO-Every student deserves that much from a teacher/instructor! If you make sure they are getting way more than they paid for in the lesson, you've got the right attitude, and they will get their money's worth.

What you don't want to do is take their money, and short change them by sucking as a teacher.

[jmiles]

I've taught for three short periods in my life. In my Teens, I taught beginners. That first lesson is the most important by far. You have to evaluate the pupil to determine what and how to teach them.
Second period was in my later Twenties. Same deal, What and How. Most wanted to learn songs.
Third period was in my Fifties, and was completely different. Very advanced students were referred to me by my friend Neil Zaza. His students were all shredder types, and I'm a finger-style Country and Blues guy, Gatton, Jerry Reed, Hellecasters type of stuff. But they had heard me play, and wanted to learn some technical stuff that I was doing. No songs. Just technique. "$60 an hour. You get tab personalized for just you. Record the lesson. And you can call me any day between 10 AM and 10 PM if you get stuck on something." Only had a few students, but it was my best teaching experience.

So, I can't help other than to say that that first lesson is the most important. Study the individual, and devise your lesson to suit them. No "One size fits all!"

[huckdeuceman]

I used to teach guitar, banjo, mandolin, bass, and even fiddle, but as far as teaching go's, the most simple and easy method is using ''Tablature'' learn a little bit about how it
is done and you can teach anybody how to play a stringed instrument other than violin
in other words? anything with frets, very fast!..I even wrote my own book on it but never had time for publishing...no I'm not blowing my own horn just trying to advise on what I feel is the best way to get someone playing and enjoying learning!..

[solopickin]

I would like to thank everyone of you that responded! Teaching is something I'm interested in but I want to be good at it and really help some people and have a definite course planned. One thing that most of y'all mentioned was figuring out the skill level of the student and I hadn't really thought about that. It's funny because I'm accomplished as a musician but apprehensive about giving lessons it's kind of like when I first started playing guitar

[HipWorshipLeade]

I'd give him a foundation. Teach the 6 strings and the notes that range from the octaves, give him finger strength exercises (1,2,3,4 ascending or descending on the neck, maybe the major scale if he knows about music already), then teach him chords to an easy song (Something like G, C, Em, D etc etc) and keep adding to the song collection. Chords are learned faster when challenged to change position, rather than basic repetition.